European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 11, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                By Loydean Thomas san Antonio express news an Antonio Texas. Has an aids research program Smeu Ald anywhere in inc world and 1 happened almost by Accident everyman and woman in the . Air. Force who tests positive Lor inc human. Immunodeficiency virus his comes to Willord Hall Usan medical Center Irv san Antonio for a Battery of Icsis. Counselling and a determination of the stage of Iho infection. While other physicians Are seeing patients in advanced stages of aids acquired immune deficiency syndrome or arc aids related com Lexwe have an Opportunity of follow some 600 ulv infected Individuate. 75 percent of whom have no significant symptoms of the disease explained immunologist or. Cot it Noal Boswell chairman of Whord Hall s department of Medicino. ". This gives thrice Lei Sec searchers an unprecedented Opportunity to Charl Trio natural history of Iho disease through a significant number of ref cited people from a Cross Section of the population ii also holds the Hope or ferret Reg out vulnerable areas in which the mice lion can be Short circuited before i progresses Inlo disease. Tho Hospital the site Lor advanced medical education Lor More than Hail the air Force s. Physicians also has Mogged As a first Rale training ground Tor aids  years ago. Wilford Hall pooled its aids Leso Arch capabilities with those of Southwest foundation for  and the the aids research program at Wilford Hall Usan medical Center in san Antonio is unequalled anywhere in the world. And it happened almost by Accident. University of Texas health science a crier at san. -. Antonio. The marriage is a natural bos Oil said adding. Hal funding from the National  of health and the department of defense make it possible to pull the group together  scientific working group is comprised of 25 , pm  and psychologists. Their specialities include neurology radiology otolaryngology diseases of the ear nose and Throat allergies infectious diseases pulmonary Medicine cardiology and  among the specialists on Willord Hall s stall arc or maj Daniel Lucey an aids specialist who Rarned Al Dartmouth medical school and Harvard school of. Public head la a be by immunology specialist or col , a former fellow at Stanford University hospila1.dr  a Marshall a neurological whose Post gradua1o work includes a Lollo ship at Mayo clinic and or a Gregory belched who graduated Summa cum laude from the University of Minn Sola nearly Allol the his patients who go through Willoyd halt Volunteer to participate in the aids research program. The knowledge gained from studies of blood and spinal fluid taken irom those patients makes its Way  International  Al the International aids conference fast june in Stock Holm Sweden Willord hah doctors de Vered 13 papers and scientist Wilh the Southwest foundation for biomedical research delivered eight Wilford Hall has a ma0  research Mission but our to 1 priority is still to keep the air Force healthy Boswell said " of Tho 770 Active duty if Force men and women who hav been diagnosed ulv pos Divo since 1983, almost half continue to be healthy. More than 360 Are still on achoo duly although the air Foice does no permit an his inf clod person to try a total of 770 members of the air Force have been diagnosed with the human immunodeficiency virus while on Active duty. Thai number is made up of approximately 680 enlisted personnel and 90 officers from the rank of airman Basic to colonel. Wilford Hall s total Case Load of 818 people infected with his includes Active duty personnel retirees and dependents from the army Navy Marine corps coast guard and is. Public health service As Wel As the air Force. Thirty seven or approximately 4.5 percent of the total Are women. The racial distribution is 54 percent while 39 percent Black 5.5 percent hispanic and. The remainder asian Pacific or  am Force a Pioneer emails total number of his aids cases at Wilford Hall by year of diagnosis 1963. 1984 196519b6. 1987 1988. 8 13 36 ,224 .369 .1611989"10 total 818 testing of All military personnel mandated by Doo began in july. 1966. Through february 28his aids cases with age of initial diagnosis under 164 16-20 32 21-25 283 26-30242 31-35 134 36-40 17341-45 28 46-50-.,. 7 51-55 9 Over 55 i .1.v.j. 6 current status of. / air Force personnel diagnosed Voth his aids while on Active duty continuing Active duty 361 separated  in i permanently retired 123 temporary disability retirement ". �31 deceased.,. 55 total res planes perform surgery or Iraq Sfer overseas trip department of defense policy stipulates that when he i Sab Fily Fovel becomes Sulyic Ionly disqualifying his personnel be retired at a minimum of 50 percent of his 6f.her Bast pay. Among  770 diagnosed his cases to a air Force personnel. I s3 Are separated or retired from Tho air Force. 231 Are on temporary disability Reti Romeril and 55 have dial. At Toast onco a year is air forces Aero medical evacuation system issues those with his infection Back. Tovy Korci halt for additional counselling tests and an update m the staging of the infection we Are available to patients anywhere in the United states they can be Back to Wilford Hall by air evacuation in a matter of hours to swig explained. Mare than 300 his positive men and women have undergone at least one re evaluation at Whord Hall in our study about 15 percent a year appear to be progressing to a More severe Levof of the disease Boswell Spidall volunteers for military service Are screened Lor his infection at the military enlistment processing stations and those who Are positive Are denied entry into the service mandatory aids virus tests of Active duty military personnel Bagan in july 1986 to Date virtually every member of the air Force has been screened at Leas t once. Tho tests have turned up one in 1,000 who is his positive. The Ligure Lor the army is 11 per 1,000, and for she Navy it is around 2 per 1,000, the army s his patients Are treated at eight separate medical facilities and the Navy s at three before Wilford Hall became the air Force s Only aids referral Hospital in was the Only Bone marrow transplant Center in the department of defense Boswell was a member of Tho medical team that diagnosed Whord Hall s first his Case which was referred m 1983 by an  who was battled by the mysterious immune deficiency exhibited by his patient. Another physician involved Ullh that Cas Ewhen he was a Resi Donl in internal Meo Reiane was Mai or Robert Zajac now chief of Vii word Hall s infectious disease service. Page 14 the stars and stripes tuesday